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Sustainable Way (sustainable + way)
Selected AbstractsInterGrid: a case for internetworking islands of GridsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 8 2008Marcos Dias de Assunção Abstract Over the last few years, several nations around the world have set up Grids to share resources such as computers, data, and instruments to enable collaborative science, engineering, and business applications. These Grids follow a restricted organizational model wherein a Virtual Organization (VO) is created for a specific collaboration and all interactions such as resource sharing are limited to within the VO. Therefore, dispersed Grid initiatives have led to the creation of disparate Grids with little or no interaction between them. In this paper, we propose a model that: (a) promotes interlinking of islands of Grids through peering arrangements to enable InterGrid resource sharing; (b) provides a scalable structure for Grids that allow them to interconnect with one another and grow in a sustainable way; (c) creates a global Cyberinfrastructure to support e-Science and e-Business applications. This work identifies and proposes architecture, mechanisms, and policies that allow the internetworking of Grids and allows Grids to grow in a similar manner as the Internet. We term the structure resulting from such internetworking between Grids as the InterGrid. The proposed InterGrid architecture is composed of InterGrid Gateways responsible for managing peering arrangements between Grids. We discuss the main components of the architecture and present a research agenda to enable the InterGrid vision. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling approach to analyse the effects of nitrification inhibition on primary productionFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009S. Boudsocq Summary 1Wet tropical savannas have high grass productivity despite the fact that nitrogen is generally limiting for primary production and soil nutrient content is typically very low. Nitrogen recycling, and especially nitrification, is supposed to be a strong determinant of the balance between conservation and loss of nutrients at the ecosystem level. The important primary production observed in wet tropical savannas might be due to a tight nutrient cycling and the fact that some grass species inhibit soil nitrification. 2Using a general theoretical ecosystem model taking both nitrate and ammonium into account, we investigate analytically, using a four,compartment-differential-equation system the general conditions under which nitrification inhibition enhances primary production. We then estimate the quantitative impact of such a mechanism on the dynamics and budget of nitrogen in a well-documented ecosystem, the Lamto savanna (Ivory Coast). This ecosystem is dominated by the grass Hyparrhenia diplandra, which drastically reduces nitrification in the whole savanna except for a small zone. While this small zone supports a lower grass primary production, nitrification is higher, most likely due to the presence of another genotype of H. diplandra, which has no effect on nitrification processes. Ultimately, we test whether differences in nitrification fluxes can alone explain this variation in primary production. 3Model analysis shows that nitrification inhibition enhances primary production only if the recycling efficiency , that is, the fraction of nitrogen passing through a compartment that stays inside the ecosystem , of ammonium is higher than the recycling efficiency of nitrate. This condition probably manifests itself in most soils as ammonium is less mobile than nitrate and is not touched by denitrification. It also depends partially on the relative affinity of plants for ammonium or nitrate. The numerical predictions for this model in the Lamto savanna show that variations in nitrification inhibition capacity may explain observed differences in primary production. 4In conclusion we find that nitrification inhibition is a process which probably enhances ecosystem fertility in a sustainable way, particularly in situations of high nitrate leaching and denitrification fluxes. This mechanism could explain the ecological advantage exhibited by native African grasses over indigenous grasses in South-American pastures. [source] China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project: Is it Needed?GEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 9 2010Chansheng He China has started the construction of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP; its magnitude is even greater than the Three Gorges Dam Project), to deliver about 45 billion m3 of water from the Yangtze River to the water starving North China Plain. Is the project needed given the multiple socioeconomic, engineering, and environmental challenges and controversies it is facing and the effects of demand management programs China has been implementing in recent years? This article, through the analysis of the water shortage problems in the North China Plain and the Yellow River basin, demonstrates that considering China's current economic base, technological capacity, and income levels, the SNWTP, while facing multiple challenges, is still needed to relieve the water deficit problems in the North China Plain. However, the SNWTP is only a partial solution to North China's chronic water shortage problem. China should continue to actively implement and enforce its demand management programs nationwide to ensure that its limited fresh water resources are used to meet the multiple needs of human societies and ecosystems in a socially responsible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable way. [source] Nitrogen: the essential public enemyJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Howard Dalton Summary 1Increased demand for food and energy is leading to changes in the global nitrogen cycle. These changes are resulting in increasing levels of nitrogen in the environment in its pollutant forms with consequences for both biodiversity and human health. In this paper, we discuss the impacts in the UK and give examples of the steps that are being taken by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to tackle these problems. 2Over 70% of the UK land area is farmland. The farmed environment is composed of a wide range of semi-natural habitats including heather moorland, chalk downland, wet grasslands farm woodlands and hedgerows. As a result, much of the UK's cherished biodiversity is an integral part of agriculture and therefore vulnerable to changes in farming practices. 3Defra's overall goal is to build a sustainable future for the UK. With regard to nitrogen pollution, this involves finding ways of continuing to meet our food and energy requirements whilst causing little or no harm to the environment. 4Defra's science programme has a central role to play in the development of its nitrogen pollution policies. These pollution policies provide a key input to the Department's evidence base for policy formulation, and support international negotiations on pollution targets. 5The Department's science programme has addressed the major components of the nitrogen cycle associated with harmful impacts on the environment and human health. The main aims have been the understanding and quantification of impacts through monitoring and modelling and the development of abatement measures. 6Synthesis and application. It is becoming increasingly apparent that whilst advances can and have been made in the reduction of emissions from combustion processes, the problem of nitrogen pollution from agriculture is far more intractable. This scientific challenge, when taken together with emerging regulatory initiatives, will require imaginative solutions if the UK Government is to forge a sustainable way forward1, 2. [source] Are cattle, sheep, and goats endangered species?MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2008P. TABERLET Abstract For about 10 000 years, farmers have been managing cattle, sheep, and goats in a sustainable way, leading to animals that are well adapted to the local conditions. About 200 years ago, the situation started to change dramatically, with the rise of the concept of breed. All animals from the same breed began to be selected for the same phenotypic characteristics, and reproduction among breeds was seriously reduced. This corresponded to a strong fragmentation of the initial populations. A few decades ago, the selection pressures were increased again in order to further improve productivity, without enough emphasis on the preservation of the overall genetic diversity. The efficiency of modern selection methods successfully increased the production, but with a dramatic loss of genetic variability. Many industrial breeds now suffer from inbreeding, with effective population sizes falling below 50. With the development of these industrial breeds came economic pressure on farmers to abandon their traditional breeds, and many of these have recently become extinct as a result. This means that genetic resources in cattle, sheep, and goats are highly endangered, particularly in developed countries. It is therefore important to take measures that promote a sustainable management of these genetic resources; first, by in situ preservation of endangered breeds; second, by using selection programmes to restore the genetic diversity of industrial breeds; and finally, by protecting the wild relatives that might provide useful genetic resources. [source] Pro: pediatric anesthesia training in developing countries is best achieved by selective out of country scholarshipsPEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 1 2009ZIPPORAH N. GATHUYAArticle first published online: 27 NOV 200 Summary Pediatric anesthesia training in developing countries is best achieved by out of country scholarships rather than structured outreach visits by teams of specialists from the developed world. Although this may seem an expensive option with slow return, it is the only sustainable way to train future generations of specialized pediatric anesthetists in developing countries. [source] Environmental Obligations and the Limits of Transnational CitizenshipPOLITICAL STUDIES, Issue 2 2009Andrew Mason Notions of cosmopolitan and environmental citizenship have emerged in response to concerns about environmental sustainability and global inequality. But even if there are obligations of egalitarian justice that extend across state boundaries, or obligations of environmental justice to use resources in a sustainable way that are owed to those beyond our borders, it is far from clear that these are best conceptualised as obligations of global or environmental citizenship. Through identifying a core concept of citizenship, I suggest that citizenship obligations are, by their nature, owed (at least in part) in virtue of other aspects of one's common citizenship, and that obligations of justice, even when they arise as a result of interconnectedness or past interactions, are not best conceived as obligations of citizenship in the absence of some other bond that unites the parties. Without ruling out the possibility of beneficial conceptual change, I argue that Andrew Dobson's model of ecological citizenship is flawed because there is no good reason to regard the obligations of environmental justice which it identifies as obligations of ecological citizenship, and that other models of cosmopolitan or global citizenship face a similar objection. [source] Extending the economics of disorganizationTHE ECONOMICS OF TRANSITION, Issue 1 2001Alan A. Bevan Many of the states of the former Soviet Union have experienced a dramatic collapse of output during transition, which has not yet been reversed in a sustainable way. The economics of disorganization, proposed by Blanchard (1997) and tested empirically by Blanchard and Kremer (1997), reasons that this phenomenon can be explained by specificity of inputs and the breakdown of traditional domestic supply linkages. We replicate the Blanchard-Kremer study for Ukraine and Kazakhstan, and also find that longer and more complex domestic supply chains are associated with greater reductions in output. When we extend their analysis to incorporate measures of the complexity of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) trade and non-CIS trade however, we find that complexity of non-CIS trade is the significant factor in explaining the output collapse. We therefore argue that the disintegration of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the requirement of hard currency trade, are equally, if not more, significant in explaining the output declines experienced by Ukraine and Kazakhstan. [source] Integrated river basin management in England and Wales: a policy perspectiveAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 4 2002G. Mance Abstract 1.There is now an irresistible momentum for a truly integrated and strategic approach to river basin management. As a consequence, the framework within which individual organizations can carry out their roles and responsibilities in a co-ordinated and sustainable way can be determined. 2.Extreme events such as floods and droughts have severe social and economic consequences. ,Traditional' engineered responses, which take little account of fluvial processes and ecosystem functioning, often exacerbate these problems and can have severe adverse consequences on the environment. 3.Bringing together a range of scientific, technical and engineering disciplines to address catchment management has many advantages. Identifying and implementing innovative solutions that benefit local communities and the environment is the only sustainable way forward for river management. 4.Public understanding of risk assessment and management is vital to the success of an integrated approach. So too is a strategic dimension to inform the town and country planning system and major investment decisions by major utilities and public bodies responsible for water supply, pollution control and flood management. 5.There are major challenges ahead for public utilities, agencies and professional bodies in terms of attracting, retaining and blending together skilled scientific, engineering and technical specialists. These skills need to be complemented by the ability to convey sophisticated information in readily understood language. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Government perspective, statutory protection and the direction of future research and co-operation in the context of the marine environmentAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 1 2002T.W. Eggeling Abstract 1.The Falkland Islands Government is proud of the successful development of its commercial fishery and sees no reason why it should not continue to be managed in a responsible and sustainable way. However, it recognizes that the fishery is vulnerable to over-fishing, changes in the migration patterns of the principal commercial species and the health of world markets. 2.To widen its economic base, the Falkland Islands Government is seeking to promote farm diversification and eco-tourism, to further develop its commercial fishery, and to encourage offshore oil exploration and development in areas under its jurisdiction. 3.It recognizes the value and importance of its wildlife populations and habitats but sees no reason why economic development and environmental protection should be mutually exclusive, provided that suitable measures are adopted to control development and protect the environment, a precautionary approach is applied, all potential risks to the environment are carefully assessed and remedial measures taken to avoid or minimize any adverse impacts. Extensive new legislation has already been enacted, baseline survey work undertaken and further environmental research commissioned. 4.The Government accepts that additional wildlife habitats and populations need to be afforded environmental protection through designation as National Nature Reserves (NNR) and Marine Nature Reserves (MNR) and thereafter managed effectively. It recognizes that much more environmental research needs to be carried out and, to that end, is willing to seek expert guidance on the future direction of that research, to co-operate with other governments or organisations in the carrying out of that research and to contribute financially to further environmental research in and around the Falkland Islands. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Microalgae for the production of bulk chemicals and biofuelsBIOFUELS, BIOPRODUCTS AND BIOREFINING, Issue 3 2010Rene H Wijffels Abstract The feasibility of microalgae production for biodiesel was discussed. Although algae are not yet produced at large scale for bulk applications, there are opportunities to develop this process in a sustainable way. It remains unlikely, however, that the process will be developed for biodiesel as the only end product from microalgae. In order to develop a more sustainable and economically feasible process, all biomass components (e.g. proteins, lipids, carbohydrates) should be used and therefore biorefining of microalgae is very important for the selective separation and use of the functional biomass components. If biorefining of microalgae is applied, lipids should be fractionated into lipids for biodiesel, lipids as a feedstock for the chemical industry and ,-3 fatty acids, proteins and carbohydrates for food, feed and bulk chemicals, and the oxygen produced should be recovered also. If, in addition, production of algae is done on residual nutrient feedstocks and CO2, and production of microalgae is done on a large scale against low production costs, production of bulk chemicals and fuels from microalgae will become economically feasible. In order to obtain that, a number of bottlenecks need to be removed and a multidisciplinary approach in which systems biology, metabolic modeling, strain development, photobioreactor design and operation, scale-up, biorefining, integrated production chain, and the whole system design (including logistics) should be addressed. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source] Leadership strategies for sustainable SME operationBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 1 2006Ian Rankin Kerr Abstract Research has been completed that explored the issues of sustainable enterprise operation for small/medium-size enterprises and also for larger enterprises. The results provide an understanding of how enterprises develop strategies and policies to manage environmental issues and pressures and how this process influences the development of enterprise management systems, functions and culture. To enable small/medium-size enterprises to facilitate the process of developing their management systems and functions for sustainable enterprise operation, the research has developed a profile of core competencies, which would guide them to operate in a sustainable way. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | |||||||||||||